I see how my G/T years merged self-worth with accolades and grades, and I feel sad for the younger version of myself — along with other “formerly gifted” peers — who internalized so many false measures of success.
At times, adulthood feels like an ongoing battle to remind myself that I’m a valuable, worthy person, regardless of outward achievements.
I’m not alone: In recent years, the “formerly gifted kid” trope has become something of a meme, with TikTokers cracking dark jokes about their lingering sense of anxiety, perfectionism and perceived failure to live up to parents’ and teachers’ expectations. It’s funny because it’s true.
Data shows that while gifted programs can result in better long-term academic outcomes and college success for some students, these benefits still reflect inequities. A 2021 study by Grissom and Redding found that small associations existed between participation in gifted programming and long-term achievement in math and reading, but there was no evidence to support a correlation between gifted kids and their general engagement with school.
Most glaringly, even these small positive associations were skewed toward higher-income white pupils, with low-income or Black gifted students excluded from long-term academic gains. What’s more, this research doesn’t begin to explore gifted education’s extended impact on social and emotional development for all participants.
I don’t regret my time as a gifted kid, but I do wish G/T had offered more care for students’ mental health and more inclusivity for children who didn’t fit the program’s relatively narrow mold of exceptionalism. I wish I could unlearn the idea that outward praise equals true success, and measure excellence in the form of learning for learning’s sake.
Above all, I wish we’d had an environment where every single student was reminded how smart and talented they were, and given the tools to explore their gifts — no matter what form they took.
This piece was previously published on HuffPost and is being shared again now as part of HuffPost Personal’s “Best Of” series.